Dear friends,
When Jesus talks about putting treasure in heaven, he is talking about building loving relationship with one another and with God. There are many ways we can respond to Jesus’ teaching to “put our treasure in heaven,” and sharing our stories must be on that list.
I remember working next to John in the kitchen. John is a friendly guy, hardworking, and we enjoyed one another’s company as we joked and washed dishes. Then, one week, he told me he couldn’t help out for the next couple weeks because he was volunteering for another organization. I started asking about this other group (it was a food bank) and that was the opening to begin learning John’s stories.
John is a retired fireman, a fire inspector who can solve the riddle of what caused a fire, and a very generous man. He is quick to give a neighbor a hand with a fallen tree or a ride to the store. The more I got to know John, the more I liked him, the more I appreciated his generous spirit, and the more I enjoyed his company. As we shared our stories and worked together, we became friends.
John gives of his time, giving neighbors and friends rides to doctor’s appointments, or to the store. He gives of his skills, helping as a handyman or helping to solve home maintenance problems. John also gives from his heart. He is wonderfully curious about other people and attentive to their stories.
When I think about the rich man who was sad because Jesus told him to sell all his possessions and give the money to the poor, I wonder if he was also lonely. I wonder if his wealth really made him rich. I wonder if he had the pleasure of sharing stories with friends.
With love,
David+